Supreme Court grants bail to Vijay Nair in Delhi liquor scam, now all eyes on Arvind Kejriwal
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has granted bail to Vijay Nair in the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case related to the Delhi Excise scam. The bench, headed by Justice Hrishikesh Roy, issued the bail order.
During the hearing, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing on behalf of Vijay Nair, argued that his arrest in the money laundering case was politically motivated. Singhvi pointed out that Nair had already been granted bail by the lower court in the CBI case. He further highlighted the Supreme Court’s observations in Manish Sisodia’s case, stating that after 17 months of custody, the trial had not commenced. Nair has been in jail for 672 days, and the charges in both cases are similar.
The ED had arrested Vijay Nair on November 13, 2022. Earlier, the CBI had arrested him on September 27, 2022, and he was granted bail in that case. On August 12, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the ED. Nair’s default bail plea was rejected by the trial court on July 29, and the Delhi High Court dismissed his regular bail plea on July 3, 2023.
Facing allegations of playing a crucial role in the scam, Nair’s bail pleas had been repeatedly rejected by lower courts. However, the Supreme Court has now granted him bail with several conditions, emphasizing that he must cooperate with the investigation and refrain from tampering with evidence.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal have also come under increased scrutiny in connection with the case. Opposition parties have directly targeted Kejriwal, accusing him of being complicit in the irregularities of the liquor policy. With Vijay Nair’s release on bail, speculation is rife that the investigation could soon focus on Arvind Kejriwal.
Opposition parties have intensified their demands for Kejriwal’s response, preparing to corner him on the issue, which could lead to significant political upheaval in Delhi in the coming days.
